My 2nd Best Productivity Tip (and the 1st one)
To understand my 2nd best productivity tip, you have to understand the first one.
And yes, I realize that highlighting the 2nd productivity tip first seems wrong. But you'll understand in a moment.
The best productivity tip is to measure. Measure your productivity and compare it against the different tips you implement. Measure your productivity on Monday and compare it against Friday.
Measure. Measure. Measure.
Truly, measuring is the most important tool in any endeavor that requires change. It's part of the scientific method:
For copywriting, I might measure how long it takes me to start on my first project after I wake.
Or I might measure how many planned tasks I finish each day.
Or I might measure... it doesn't really matter. As Tim Ferris points out in The Four Hour Body, even measuring the wrong things can produce positive results as long as it's consistent.
For example, measuring how many tasks I finish each day may not be too accurate if my tasks vary wildly in the length of time they take to complete. And they do. But overtime, and as the tasks begin to repeat themselves, this noise can be cancelled out.
So again, what's the number one productivity tip? Measure every attempt to improve productivity.
Now that we've got that out of the way...
What's the number TWO best productivity tip?
A new one.
For some psychological reason that's probably not too hard to figure out, new productivity tips seem to work best. And work best when you MEASURE them.
Maybe it's because the tip is new and exciting. Maybe it's because it's a change of pace or scenery. Maybe it's because you're curious to find out the results of your new, exciting productivity tip.
Regardless, new productivity tips tend to do the most for your productivity.
And if you measure, at some point you may notice when a "new" tip isn't new anymore, and you can move on to the next.
Cheers,
Stephen Dean
And yes, I realize that highlighting the 2nd productivity tip first seems wrong. But you'll understand in a moment.
The best productivity tip is to measure. Measure your productivity and compare it against the different tips you implement. Measure your productivity on Monday and compare it against Friday.
Measure. Measure. Measure.
Truly, measuring is the most important tool in any endeavor that requires change. It's part of the scientific method:
|
Scientific Method - Define the question - Gather information and resources (observe) - Form hypothesis - Perform experiment and collect data - Analyze data - Interpret data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypothesis - Publish results - Retest (frequently done by other scientists) |
Or I might measure how many planned tasks I finish each day.
Or I might measure... it doesn't really matter. As Tim Ferris points out in The Four Hour Body, even measuring the wrong things can produce positive results as long as it's consistent.
For example, measuring how many tasks I finish each day may not be too accurate if my tasks vary wildly in the length of time they take to complete. And they do. But overtime, and as the tasks begin to repeat themselves, this noise can be cancelled out.
So again, what's the number one productivity tip? Measure every attempt to improve productivity.
Now that we've got that out of the way...
What's the number TWO best productivity tip?
A new one.
For some psychological reason that's probably not too hard to figure out, new productivity tips seem to work best. And work best when you MEASURE them.
Maybe it's because the tip is new and exciting. Maybe it's because it's a change of pace or scenery. Maybe it's because you're curious to find out the results of your new, exciting productivity tip.
Regardless, new productivity tips tend to do the most for your productivity.
And if you measure, at some point you may notice when a "new" tip isn't new anymore, and you can move on to the next.
Cheers,
Stephen Dean